A flummoxing message from Plainfield's mayor

Transcribed below is the press release from Plainfield Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs concerning her advocacy of the pension deferral plan currently being discussed. (It is also available as a PDF file on the city's website here.)

I am posting it in its entirety, EXACTLY AS PUBLISHED, as I find it flummoxing.

It seems to have been posted to the website AFTER her verbal presentation to the Council on February 2.

FOR IMMEDIATE DISTRIBUTION AND PUBLICATION

Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs supports pension deferral strategy

Plainfield, NJ: February 2, 2009

After participating last week on a conference call with representatives of Governor Corzine's state financial team and various Mayors from New Jersey, and after discussing this with her City Administrator Marc Dashield and Corporation Counsel Daniel Williamson, the Mayor has renewed her recommendation tonight to the Plainfield City Council for the City of Plainfield and strongly urged them to participate in the Governor's Proposal for temporary deferral of local pension contributions as a means of helping Plainfield maintain the 4% tax levy.

Per Mayor Robinson-Briggs, "this appears to be the only available viable solution to an economic situation which currently exists in the City of Plainfield, Union County and the State of New Jersey." This deferral proposal would ease the property tax burden right now and allow more residents to be able to afford home ownership. This would also help our City avoid raising taxes to an unbearable high level. It will help us to avoid any critical cuts which could result in sacrifices to our public safety and public health.

Per Governor Corzine's proposal, this proposal helps to support service delivery, control property tax levies and minimize the impact on the pension system while providing an alternative investment option for those communities that have a less severe tax issue.

Mayor Robinson-Briggs further indicated that "this proposal also has the support of Fanwood Mayor Colleen Mahr, other Mayors statewide and that Assemblyman Jerry Green is in discussions with other State Legislators about this proposed legislation."

"Although my administration and I realize that our budget belongs to our City Council, we are respectfully requesting that they take a good look at this proposal which could be a savings for our taxpayers, particularly at a time when it is needed the most. My administration and I are very happy to introduce this proactive initiative to the Council. I am requesting City Council Members to spend time reviewing this concept which could actually save significant tax payer dollars, keep more people in their homes and assist with balancing our budget to the 4% tax levy or possibly lower."

In the interim, a document will be provided to the City Council and community at the next City Council meeting to address any questions. Additionally, a Community Forum has been scheduled for February 25, 2009 6:30pm, Washington Community School, Darrow Avenue, Plainfield, New Jersey. The community will be fully apprised about this proposal and recommendation.

END

Some of the assertions are just plain puzzling --

• What does it mean to 'maintain the 4% tax levy'? The state does have a 4% ANNUAL CAP ON SPENDING INCREASES. Is this what the Mayor means?
  
  
• How will this deferral help 'avoid raising taxes to an unbearable high level'? Especially if there will be NO Extraordinary Aid. Would the pension payment deferral more than make up for the missing aid? By how much?
  
  
• Is stating that 'our budget belongs to our City Council' a way of ducking the Administration's responsibility to make a good-faith budget proposal that addresses the fiscal situation with all the inside knowledge the Administration has? After all, while it is true that the Council must STRIKE THE BUDGET, it is also true that it cannot -- even with diligent probing -- know as much about the situation on the ground as the Administration is supposed to. A cop-out?
  
  
• As for the Community Forum on February 25, maybe someone should tell the person who updates the online calendar -- the forum was not included as of late Wednesday evening --
  
  
  
  
  
• Lastly, Mayor Robinson-Briggs promises that the Council -- and the public -- will be supplied at the next Council meeting (February 9) the information necessary to answer any questions.
  

Would be nice if were posted on the City's website, too.

It could be right next to the Spanish version of the Mayor's State of the City Address which she promised (in her speech) would be available on the website 'later in the month'.

Oops!

I forget -- the State of the City Address is not yet online, in Spanish or English.

Oh, well.

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-- Dan Damon

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